Electric signaling device.



A. S. HUCKINS. ELECTRIC SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.14, 1914.

1,120,499, Patented Dec. 8. 1914.

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ARTHUR s. HUCKINS, or PHILADELPHIA, P NNSY VANIA.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING DEVICE.

To. all whom it may concern:

. Be it knownthat I, ARTHUR S. HUGKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have I invented certain lmprovements in Electric Signaling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

lhe object of my invention is to so construct an electric signaling apparatus, such for instance as a door bell, that the same will automatically indicate when it is inoperative because oi the weakening of, or interference with, the electric current upon which it depends for'its proper operation. This object I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 1s a vertical sectional view of the door plate and push button of an electrical signaling device constructed in accordance with my invention, this ,viewalso showing parts of the line wires and the conventional representation or a battery iior supply ng current to the line; Fig. 2 18 a s milar view illustrating a slight modification of my invention, and Fig. 3 is a like viewof part of the apparatus, lllustrating another modification.

In the drawing, I have illustrated my 1nvention as applied to an ordinary type of electric door bell, 1 representing the door plate or casing and 2 the casing applied thereto for the reception of the push button 3 and the spring terminal contacts at and 5, respectively, for the positive and negative terminals :0 and 3 off the battery or other electric generator m, all of these parts being as usual, except that the electric circuit includes an electromagnet 6. which, in the present instance is mounted on the inside of the casing l by means of a bracket 7. Also mounted on the inside of the casing 1 is a spring arm 8 whose upper end is bent inwardly as shown at 8 to serve as a support for a flap 9 pivotally mounted on the inside of the casing 1, and having on its face an inscription such as Bell out of order Please knock or the like. When this flap is retained in elevated position, as shown in Fig. 1, itis invisible but when it is permitted to drop, it will expose its inscription through an opening 10 in the easing 1, this opening having a cover 11 of glass, celluloid, or other transparent material. The spring plate 8 has a projectlng knob 12 which contacts with the spring ter- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dee s 1914; Application filed January 14,1914; Serial No. 812,079. I

minal 5 so that, when said terminal is pushed 9 and in the absence of some other support said flap will fall. Before the depression of the spring arm 8, however, the terminalsfl and 5 were brought into contact with one another a and the circuit was completed through the bell magnet and also through the magnet 6. The flap 9 acts as an armature for, said magnet 6 and as long as the latter remains energized said armature will be attracted to the pole of the magnet and prevented from dropping. Before, the current through the bell magnet and magnet 6 is discontinued by release of pressure upon the push button 3 the terminals e and 5 have moved outwardly sufficient to remove the pressure of the terminal 5 from the knob 12 of the spring arm 8 and the bent upper end S of the latter has resumed its supporting position in respect to the flap 9, hence the latter will not drop when the current through the magnet 6 is interrupted andit ceases to exert magnetic attraction upon the flap I 9. If, however, the electric current isso weakened as not to properly energize the bell magnet and cause the ring of the bell it will also fail to energize the magnet 6 sufficiently to cause it to properly attract the flap, consequently the latter will drop as soonas thesupport of the arm 8 is removed therefrom and thus indicate to the person who is pressing the button 3 that the bell is out of order and that some other means of signaling the occupants of the house will have to be resorted to.

In the operation or the ordinary electric door bell the circuit is automatically interrupted at frequent intervals in order to effect vibration of the arm carrying the bell hammer and such intermittent interrupting of the circuit through the magnet 6 will also be efiected, but the circuit is not broken long enough to permit the armature to escape from the influence of the magnet, hence the flap 9 will not fall, and before the circuit through the magnet 6 is permanently broken by the release of the push button 3 the spring arm 8 will be in position to engage the flap 9 and prevent the same from dropping.

While I prefer to cause the magnet 6 to act directly upon the flap 9 as an armature,

this is, not necessary to the proper carrying out of my invention as said magnet may, if desired, act through the medium of an intervening retainer such for instance as the pivoted trigger shown at 13 in Fig. 2, this trigger being hooked and alternating with the spring arm 8 asa means for supporting the flap 9 in the elevated position, the magnet 6 being energized and the trigger moved into locking position thereby before the flap-9 is deprived of the support of the finger 8. When such a supporting trigger is used,

"'- however, the interruption of the circuit through the magnet 6.at the same time that thelcircuit is interrupted through the bell magnet mightcause failure in theproper operation of the supporting trigger, hence in-this easel prefer to place the magnet 6 ina branch circuit n upon which the circuit breaker of the bell has no influence, the circuit through the magnet 6 being maintained as long as the terminals 4: and 5 are in contact with one another.

in Figs; 1 and 2. In this case the armature 14 when attracted by the magnet is drawn into line with a lug 15 011 the back of the supporting arm 8 and prevents the latter from being pushed inwardly far enough to remove its support from the indicator 9", but if-the armature 14 is not attracted it remains below the 'lug 15 and permits such inward movement of the arm 8 as to release the indicator and permit it to drop.

I claim -1. The combination of an electromagnetic signal circuit, a controller therefor, an electromagnet which receives current from the same source as the signal circuit and is controlled by the same means, an indicator, a

I may also use a slldlng 1nd1cator'9 as shown in F 1g. 3 instead of a swinglng indicator such as shown retainer therefor, operated by the controller, to release the indicator, and means whereby the magnet, when energized, prevents such release.

' 2. The combination of an electromagnetic signal circuit, a controller therefor, an electromagnet which receives current from the 7 same source as the signal circuit and is 0011 trolled bythe same means, an indicator,

net which receives current from the same source as the signal circuit and is controlled by the same means, an indicator constituting v an armature for said magnet, and a retainer for said indicator operated by the controller to release the indicator. v

4. The combination of the circuit closing contacts of an electromagnetic signaling de vice, a push button for closing said contacts, a magnet energized from the same source as the signal c1rcu1t,an indicator,

means whereby the same is supported by said magnet when the latter is energized, an" arm serving to support said indicator independently of the magnet, and means whereby said" arm is removed from its supporting position when the circuit is closed.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR S. HUCKINS.

' Witnesses Copies of this patent maybe obtained for. five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' 3 Washington, D. G. 

